Brake beam



F. SCHAEFER May 3, 1949.

BRAKE BEAM Filed Nov. 13, 1948 INVENTOR. FREDERIC SCHAEFER. BY M 4 /uQw gw 3 M v- M ATTURNEYS.

Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE BEAM Frederic Schaefer, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November 13, 1948, Serial No. 59,194 7 Claims. (01. 183 0.2)

This invention relates to railway car brake beams and, more particularly, to truss type beams which are slidably supported by the side frames of a car truck.

W hen the brake shoes carried by such beams are forced against the car wheels, the rotation of the wheels tends to move the shoes either upward or downward. This force tends to move the inner sides of the brake heads in that same direction because the heads are supported only at points beyond their outer sides. The result is that in many cases this intermittent canting of the heads causes them to work loose on the ends of the beam. Some heads are provided with tongues that project into the ends of the brake beams compression member, but heretofore it has been difficult to obtain a tight enough fit to keep the tongues from tilting in the compression member.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a brake beam of the type discussed above in which a tight fit is assured between brake head tongues and compression member and in which canting of the tongues is prevented independently of the fastening members that secure the tongues and compression member together.

According to this invention the brake beam includes a compression member, on each end of which is mounted a brake shoe supporting member, preferably a brake head, and a tension member having ends secured to the brake heads. The

compression member is channel-shape with top and bottom flanges joined by a web. Each brake head is provided at one side with a tongue that projects laterally into the adjoining end of the compression member. brake head is provided with a laterally projecting lug adapted to be slidably supported by a ledge on a car truck side frame. A plurality of fastening members extend through each tongue and adjoinin compression member web at longitudinally spaced intervals to hold them tightly together. Each end portion of the web has an inside rib extending lengthwise of it, and each of the tongues is provided. with a longitudinally extending groove that snugly receives the adjoining rib so that there can be no canting or up and down movement of the tongue on the web. The ribs preferably are formed by forging the compression member to offset portions of its Web inwardly. It also is preferred that the upper and lower surfaces of the ribs and grooves converge away from the web. In most cases the tongues will be spaced from the top and bottom flanges of the, compression member. r

The preferred embodiment of the invention is The opposite side of the .1

illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the brake beam supported by a car truck; Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section through one end of the beam; Fig. 3 is an end View of the beam with its upper part shown in section; Fig. is a longitudinal section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, a truss type brake beam I is shown supported by a pair of ledges or short tracks formed on a car truck side frame 3. The brake beam includes a channel-shape compression member 4 and a tension rod 5 spaced apart at the center in the customary manner by a strut t. Disposed at opposite ends of the compression member are brake shoe supporting members, preferably only brake heads I, that carry brake shoes 8 which, upon movement of the beam forward, engage the car wheels 9. The brake heads are provided with recesses l2 to receive the ends of the compression member. Each brake head has a generally rectangular body from the front of which the usual shoe-supporting portion 13 extends upward and downward. This portion is reinforced by upright webs l4 integral with it and with the top and bottom of the body. The brake head body is formed from upper and lower spaced parallel walls It integrally connected by a front wall ll, an outer wall 18 and an inner back corner portion it. There is thus formed in the body of the head a slot 2|, the entrance to which extends along the inner side of the head. The plane of the slot lies in the plane of the beam which is radial of the wheels. One end of tension rod 5 extends into this slot and is upset and flattened to provide parallel upper and lower surfaces adjacent the inner surfaces of walls It, and to provide plenty of metal around the opening 22 through the upset end. Aligned with this opening are openings 23 through the upper and lower walls of the slot, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to be able to locate these head openings in a position that will permit the upset end of the tension rod to be disposed inside of the head body, webs i l are not parallel to the sides of the head, as in the usual brake head, but, as shown in Fig. 1, extend diagonally across it from the vertical center line of the shoe-supporting portion it towards the inner rear corner of the head. This allows openings 23 to be positioned much farther inward from the outer side of the brake head body than otherwise would be the case.

The fastening member that extends through aligned openings 22 and 23 includes a sleeve 26 that does not project from the body of the head, and a bolt 2'! extending through the sleeve and through washers 28 at its ends. A nut 29 is screwed onto the lower end of the bolt. Due to this arrangement, openings 23 can be large enough for a fastening member of the necessary diameter, and yet can be located close to webs l4, because the relatively small bolt has a head and nut of small enough radius to fit into the spaces between the webs and the centers of'theopenings. The body of the head can netbe made wider in order to provide more room in it for the tension rod and fastening member, because ledges 2 are in the way. The fastening member serves:

as a pivot around which the rod can turn when the beam is flexed.

This brake beam, instead of being supported by conventional swingin hangers, is supported by ledges 2. For this purpose each brake headhas.

integrally connected to outer wall i8 of its body a lug 3! that projects laterally between the adjacent ledges on the side frame. This lug is flat with parallel upper and lower surfaces and, like.

slot 2!, it lies in the plane of the -beam. The lug slides back and forth between the ledges which are inclined so that the inclined b-eamwill slideaway from the wheels when. the brakes are released.

Projecting laterally from the inner side ofthe brake head body, near its: rear end, is a long fiat tongue 32 that extends into the adjoining end of the compression member. and engages its web,

as shown in Fig. 2. The top and bottom ofxthe tongue are spaced slightlyfrom the upper and lower flanges of the compression member so that there will be no danger of contact at those points preventing the tongue from engaging the Web.

It is a feature of this invention that the rear or web-engaging side of the tongue is provided with a central groove 33 that extends horizontally throughout the lengthof the tongue; The upper and lower walls of. this groove preferably diverge toward the web. The. adjoining end portion of the web is forged to ofiset inwardly along central portion that formsa horizontal rib- 34 which fits snugly in the groove in the tongue The upper and lower surfaces of I the rib-converge in the same direction and to .the same extent as the upper and lower walls of the groove to form a wedge fit. The tongue; and rib are provided at longitudinally spaced-intervals with aligned openings through. which fastening members, preferably rivets 3,5, extend. The heads at the rear ends of. the rivets may be disposed. in.

the recess 36 formed in. the compression. member by the offset rib. Theserivetshold the tongue.

tightly against the web of the. compression memher, but they are not subjected to any shearing action because the interengaging rib and groove effectively prevent the tongue from moving transversely ofth'e web or pivotingjor canting on it. The connection is improved by making. the tongue quite long, so that it can be rivetedto the compression member at two or more longitudinally spaced points. Consequently, there is no danger of the tongue working loose in the compression member due to the vertical stresses placed on it when the brakes are applied.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described. what I now consider to represent its best embodiment; However, I desire to, have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may'b'epracticed other- 4 Wise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A brake beam for use with a railway car truck provided with a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam comprising a channel shape compression member having top and bottom flanges joined by a web, a brake shoe supporting member disposed at each end of said compression member, each brake shoe supporting member being providedat one side with a tongue projecting laterally into the adjoining end of the compression member and at the other side with a laterally projecting lug adapted to be slidably supported by the adjoining ledge, and a plurali-ty-of fastening members extending through each tongue andadjoining compression member Web at longitudinally spaced intervals to hold them tightly together, each end portion of said web having an inside rib extending lengthwise ofit, and each of said tongues being provided withalongitudinally extending groovesnugly re ceiving. the.- adjoining rib;

2. A brake beam for use with a railway car truck provided with a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam comprising'a. channel shape laterall'y into the adjoining" end of the compres-- sion member and; at the-other sidewith: a laterally projecting lug adapted. to be slidably supported by the adjoining ledge, each end 'portionof said web having an inside horizontal rib, each of said: tongues being provided with a horizontal groove snugly receiving the adjoining rib, and a plu rality of rivets connecting. each adjoining rib and.

tongue atlongitudinally spaced intervals.

3. A. brake. beam for .use with a railway car truck providedwith a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam. comprising a. channel shape compression member having, top. and bottomflanges joinedby. a. web, a brake shoe supporting member disposed at each end of said com.- pression member, each. brake shoe supporting member being provided at one side with a tongue projecting laterally into the adjoining end of the compression member and. at the other side with.

a laterally projecting lug adapted to be slidably supported by the adjoiningledge, and a plurality of" fastening members extendingthrough each.

tongue and adjoiningcompressionmember webv at longitudinally. spaced. intervals to. holdv them. tightly together, each" end portion ofsaid web.

having an inwardly ofiset central portion extending lengthwise. thereof to forma. horizontal rib, and. each of saidtongues being provided with a longitudinally extendinggroove snugly receivingthe adjoining rib- 4. A brake beam for usev with a railway car truck provided with a pair of. beam-supporting, ledges, said beam. comprising a. channel shape compression memberv having top and bottom flanges joined by a web, abrakeshoe supporting member disposed at each. end'. of said compression member. each brake shoe supporting. memberbeing provided at one sidewith a tongue projecting, laterally into the. adjoiningend of the com.-

vpression member andatthe. other sidewith a. laterally projecting lug adapted. to be slidablysupported bythe adjoining ledge, and a plurality offastening members extending through eachv tongue and adjoining compression member. web;

at longitudinally spaced intervals to holdl'them tightly together, each end portion of said web having a rib extending lengthwise of it, and each of said tongues being provided with a longitudinally extending groove snugly receiving the adjoining rib, the upper and lower surfaces of said ribs and grooves converging away from said web.

5. A brake beam for use with a railway car truck provided with a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam comprising a channel shape compression member having top and bottom flanges joined by a web, a brake shoe supporting member disposed at each end of said compression member, each brake shoe supporting member being provided at one side with a tongue projecting laterally into the adjoining end of the compression member and at the other side with a laterally projecting lug adapted to be slidably supported by the adjoining ledge, the tongues being spaced from said top and bottom flanges, and a plurality of fastening members extending through each tongue and adjoining compression member web at longitudinally spaced intervals to hold them tightly together, each end portion of said web having an inside rib extending lengthwise of it, and each of said tongues being provided with a longitudinally extending groove snugly receiving the adjoining rib.

6. A brake beam for use with a railway car truck provided with a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam comprising a channel shape compression member having top and bottom flanges joined by a web, a brake head disposed at each end of said member, each head being provided at one side with a tongue projecting laterally into the adjoining end of the compression member and at the other side with a laterally projecting lug adapted to be slidably supported by the adjoining ledge, the tongues being spaced from said top and bottom flanges, each end portion of said web having an inwardly offset central portion extending lengthwise thereof to form a horizontal rib with inwardly converging upper and lower surfaces, each of said tongues being provided with a longitudinally extending groove 6 snugly receiving the adjoining rib, and a plurality of rivets connecting each adjoining rib and tongue at longitudinally spaced intervals.

7. A brake beam for use with a railway car truck provided with a pair of beam-supporting ledges, said beam comprising a channel shape compression member having top and bottom flanges joined by a web, a brake head disposed at each end of said member, each head being provided at one side with a recess receiving the adjoining end of the compression member and with a long tongue projecting into the compression member, the opposite side of the head having a laterally projecting lug adapted to be supported by the adjoining ledge, a plurality of fastening members extending through each tongue and adjoining compression member web at longitudinally spaced intervals to hold them tightly together, each end portion of said web having an inside rib extending lengthwise of it and each of said tongues being provided with a longitudinally extending groove snugly receiving the adjoining rib, each head having a slot extending into it from its tongue side and disposed in the plane of the beam, a tension rod having its ends projecting into the slots in the heads, each end of the rod and the slot walls above and below it being provided with aligned openings, and fastening members in said openings pivotally connecting the tension rod and brake heads together.

FREDERIC SCHAEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,206,676 Schaefer July 2, 1940 2,398,917 Busch Apr. 23, 1946 2,419,115 Busse Apr. 15, 1947 2,446,341 Otterson Aug. 3, 1948 2,455,316 Schaefer Nov. 30, 1948 

